Dynamic Unmanned Threat Emitter

ABSTRACT

A threat emitter system comprising a threat emitter comprising a main power supply, an external power source, a first sequencer, a driver amp, a second sequencer, a main amp, and a radio; a three-way power supply; a mixer, synthesizer, pre-amp, and cooling fans receiving electrical power from the three-way power supply; and an antenna in communication with the main amp; a user interface in communication with radio; the radio in communication with the mixer; the mixer in communication with the synthesizer; a filter in communication between the mixer and the pre-amp; the driver amp in communication with the pre-amp; the first sequencer in communication with the driver amp; the driver amp in communication with the main amp; a second sequencer in communication with the main amp; and a processor with access to a memory storing instructions executable by the processor.

Pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.78(a)(4), this application claims the benefitof and priority to prior filed co-pending Provisional Application Ser.No. 63/155,790, filed 3 Mar. 2021, which is expressly incorporatedherein by reference.

RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States for all governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalty.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to frequency emissions equipmentand, more particularly, to a dynamic unmanned threat emitter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this invention is to supplement training ranges with athreat replication system that is not only low cost and capable of beingfielded in numbers, but one which also rapidly deployable and dynamic.In a 2018 report to Congress, the Secretary of the Air Force stated thatthe Air Force has an urgent need for higher-fidelity threat simulatorswith advanced characteristics. According to a recent DoD IG audit ofINDOPACOM training ranges supporting aviation units, to include theJoint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC), found that many of theranges were antiquated and unable to prep units for conventionalwarfare. The JPARC complex replicates cold war missile systems from the1980's, however, these systems are not capable of representing a modernnear-peer threat. According to the investigators, the Air Force's F-22sand F-35 jets don't even view these systems as threats—modern aircrafttechnology is now more advanced than range electronic warfare systems.These shortfalls are not exclusive to just INDOPACOM training ranges; inthe case of Luke Air Force Base, the Barry M. Goldwater training rangecurrently only has four static threat emitters to train pilots on adaily basis.

While most systems that are currently utilized on training ranges areolder and capable of only limited threat replication, there are newersystems being marketed which allow for replication of multiple systems.The primary limitations of both systems however, are that they arelimited in mobility, typically require significant infrastructure tosupport operations, and are cost prohibitive, i.e. they can't be fieldedin large quantities. In order to create a realistic threat scenario withthe current systems on the market, it would cost upwards of a $100M toresource just one training range with the appropriate number of systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the foregoing problems and othershortcomings, drawbacks, and challenges of creating a trainingenvironment for our pilots and aircraft that provides simulatedrepresentations of threats from countries listed in the National DefenseStrategy. While the invention will be described in connection withcertain embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to these embodiments. To the contrary, this invention includesall alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be includedwithin the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The low-cost threat emitter seeks to address all of these limitations,especially in the case of mobility, quantity, and capability toreplicate multiple different threats. The form factor of the low-costthreat emitter is such that it can easily be moved around in a lighttruck, on a trailer, or autonomously, and it may be easilyassembled/disassembled within minutes. Compared to the systems currentlyin use, this is a significant improvement; many of the current systemsrequire heavy equipment to move to a new location, and often times maybe accomplished in a time period on the order of hours and/or days, notminutes. Additionally, by taking advantage of newer generation avionicsin our modern military aircraft, the low-cost inventive emitter requiresmuch less power to operate resulting in inherently lower productioncosts. By comparison, the low-cost emitter is expected to be about1/50^(th), i.e. about 2%, of the cost of current systems, thus allowingmultiple systems to be fielded at a fraction of the cost. Lastly,because the low-cost threat emitter will take advantage ofsoftware-defined commercial off-the-shelf equipment (COTS), the systemis reprogrammable by the operator or autonomously and will be capable ofreplicating various different threats by simply updating operatingparameters. The threat environment may be changed within seconds.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a threat emittersystem comprises a threat emitter including a main power supply incommunication with an external power source; a first sequencer receivingelectrical power from the main power supply; a driver amp receivingelectrical power from the main power supply; a second sequencerreceiving electrical power from the main power supply; a main ampreceiving electrical power from the main power supply; and a radioreceiving electrical power from the main power supply;

-   -   a three-way power supply receiving electrical power from the        main power supply and supplying three distinct DC voltages; a        mixer receiving electrical power from the three-way power        supply; a synthesizer receiving electrical power from the        three-way power supply; a pre-amp receiving electrical power        from the three-way power supply; and at least two cooling fans        receiving electrical power from the three-way power supply; and        an antenna in communication with the main amp;    -   a user interface in communication with radio; the radio in        communication with the mixer; the mixer in communication with        the synthesizer; a filter in communication between the mixer and        the pre-amp; the driver amp in communication with the pre-amp;        the first sequencer in communication with the driver amp; the        driver amp in communication with the main amp; a second        sequencer in communication with the main amp; and a processor        with access to a memory storing instructions executable by the        processor, the instructions including: driving a waveform power        (dB) to a selected value; driving a waveform frequency at a        selected value; driving a waveform bandwidth at a selected        value; driving a waveform pulse duration at a selected value;        and driving a waveform pulse repetition interval at a selected        value.

According to a first variation, the threat emitter system furthercomprises a host vehicle on which the threat emitter is mounted.

According to another variation, the host vehicle is an autonomous hostvehicle, the autonomous host vehicle comprising a processor with accessto a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, theinstructions including: determining that an autonomous host vehicle cantraverse an environmental obstacle that includes at least onetopographical feature that is a solid object or a land formation; and asa result of determining that the autonomous host vehicle can traversethe at least one topographical feature: controlling an active suspensionsystem in accordance with the at least one topographical feature, andcontrolling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the at least onetopographical feature; and receiving a user input authorizing theautonomous host vehicle to traverse the at least one topographicalfeature.

According to another variation, the instructions for controlling theactive suspension include to adjust one or more wheels of the hostvehicle individually to traverse the at least one topographical feature.

This system allows us to replicate signals present in an “air defensenetwork,” rather than just single threats placed on the training range,and allows for the generation of more-realistic training scenarios. Airdefense networks are comprised of multiple surface-to-air-missilesystems that work together to defend a defined area. The individualsystems may move about the battlespace to complicate targetingsolutions. In order to support follow-on military operations such asairborne intercept missions to destroy strategic targets, the militarymust first conduct suppression of enemy air defense missions, or SEAD.These SEAD missions involve finding, fixing, targeting, and trackingthreats such as surface-to-air missile systems. The inventiveLow-Cost-Threat Emitter or LCTE, emulates detectable signatures tosupport training for SEAD missions on a much greater scale due to therapid reprogammability, mobility, and the ability to field many systemsdue to the low cost and small size. The host vehicle permits the threatemitter system to move around an area, providing unpredictability whileproviding a broad range of simulated threat emissions, greatly enhancingaircrew training.

Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention willbe set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the presentinvention and, together with a general description of the inventiongiven above, and the detailed description of the embodiments givenbelow, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an elevated view of a portion of the threat emitter, accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the threat emitter,according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the user interface for the threat emitter, according toan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 depicts the threat emitter mounted on a vehicle, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 presents an electrical schematic for the threat emitter,according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing example components of the system,according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example process that may be executed by thesystem when faced with an off-road environmental obstacle.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarilyto scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of variousfeatures illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. Thespecific design features of the sequence of operations as disclosedherein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations,locations, and shapes of various illustrated components, will bedetermined in part by the particular intended application and useenvironment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have beenenlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate visualization andclear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, forexample, for clarity or illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following examples illustrate particular properties and advantagesof some of the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, theseare examples of reduction to practice of the present invention andconfirmation that the principles described in the present invention aretherefore valid but should not be construed as in any way limiting thescope of the invention.

In one embodiment, as depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the low-cost threat emitter10 may be an X-band radar threat simulator designed to replicate varioussurface-to-air missile systems operating from 7.95-11 GHz. Otherfrequency bands may be employed as well, depending on the desiredapplication of the emitter 10. The system may make use of multiplecomponents consisting of, for example, a main power supply 12, e.g. a27v DC power supply, a three-way power supply 14 (3.3vdc, 5vdc, 12vdc),a software-defined radio 16, open-source software 18 for the radio 16,custom software 18 combined with a web-based user interface 38, asynthesizer 22, a mixer 20, a filter 24, a pre-amplifier 26, amplifiersequencers 30, driver amp 28, main amp 32, and finally the transmitantenna 34. One or more of each of these components may be includeddepending on the particular application and desired results.

Component Descriptions:

In one embodiment, the main power supply 12 is a Mean Well SP-750-27Power Supply. This power supply may be employed as the main power sourcefor both amplifiers 28, 32, and which is connected via the amplifiersequencers 30. Additionally, it may also serve as the power supply forthe three-way power supply 14. The energy necessary to drive the mainpower supply 12 may be from a typical 110v AC external power supply,e.g. portable generator, batteries, or other source, connected via astandard power cable (not shown). Other power arrangements, e.g.dedicated generator or batteries, are acceptable within the limits ofthe power requirements of the system and the desired performancecharacteristics.

The 3-way power supply 14 may be a Mean Well QP200-3A Power Supply orsimilar power supply. This three-way power supply may serve as the powersource for several components throughout the system, including 3.3vdcfor the Mixer 20; 5vdc for the pre-amp synthesizer 22; 12vdc for theDriver Amp Fan 29, Main Amp Fan 33; and additional cooling fans 40mounted on chassis.

The radio 16 may be an E310 Software-Defined Radio (SDR). Thesoftware-defined radio is flexible radio platform offering digitalwaveform control over a wide frequency range from 70 MHz-6 GHz with upto 56 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. The system features an onboardOpen Embedded build framework based on the Linux operating system. Anopen source software platform, e.g. GNU Radio, may be used to build thewaveform parameters by combining it with custom software 18, generatinga python script which allows select fields to be programmed by an enduser. These parameters include frequency, power output, pulse repetitioninterval, staggered pulse repetition interval, pulse duration, andmodulation. Once parameters have been established, a python script iscreated which the embedded software 18 uses to control the waveformgeneration of the radio 16. This waveform is the initial input frequency(IF) which is then output to the mixer 20 where it is mixed with a localoscillator (LO) tone generated by the synthesizer 22. A user interface38 to control the radio's parameters may be accomplished through agraphical user interface 38, accessed via a secure Wi-Fi network createdby the radio 16, 36, as described below.

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) 38 is used to control the software 18on the radio 16, and the basis for waveform generation, is a web-basedinterface which allows for user inputs to define waveform parameters.The GUI 38 may be accessed via a secure Wi-Fi network established by theradio 16 and an in communication through a wireless interface device,such as a tablet 40, e.g. an Amazon Fire tablet, or alternatively byconnection to a closed network, from which the GUI 38 can be accessed byany computers connected to the same network. Once there is a secureconnection, the user is then able to access the GUI 38 by loading anHTML based-interface using the web browser loaded on the tablet 40 ornetwork connected computer; from this interface the user is able todefine parameters for waveform generation as noted above, to includepower (dB), frequency, bandwidth, pulse duration, pulse repetitioninterval, modulation, and other parameters. After input of theparameters is complete, a command is sent from the web-based interfaceto the embedded software to generate the python script for waveformgeneration. A start/stop transmit function is also controllable via thisaccess point. As for the interface, it is a website which is hosted onthe computer inside the main box (labeled computer in FIG. 1) and may beaccessed through a network connection to the computer through eitherWi-Fi or Ethernet. Once a network connection with the threat emitter isestablished, the user simply has to input the correct IP address toaccess the parameter entry webpage.

The synthesizer 22, e.g. a Walfront ADF4351 Synthesizer, is amicrocontroller board which uses an integrated voltage controlledoscillator with a frequency range of 2.2-4.4 Ghz. The synthesizer isused as a LO (local oscillator) to mix with the IF (input frequency)generated by the SDR 16 in order to get the signal up to the desiredfrequency range of 7.95 GHz-11 GHz. The typical LO signal configurationis set to have the synthesizer generate a 3.5 GHz tone; this signalgeneration is controlled by the embedded software 18 on the SDR 16,connected by USB. The 3.5 GHz tone is then sent to the mixer 20 to becombined with the IF frequency.

The mixer 20, e.g. a Lotus MIX2G14G500M6G Mixer, is responsible forreceiving both the IF and the LO signals. The primary purpose of themixer 20 is to complete the up-conversion of those signals in order toarrive at 7.95-11 GHz. The mixer 20 receives the LO input, doubles it,and then combines it with the IF to arrive at the final operatingfrequency. For example, the LO frequency is set to 3.5 GHz which arrivesat the mixer 20, the mixer doubles that to arrive at 7 GHz, the mixerthen combines the 7 GHz tone with the 2 GHz IF generated by the SDR 16to arrive at 9 GHz. Once the doubling of the LO, and then the mixingwith the IF occurs, the output is then passed through a filter 24.

There may be two filters 24 associated with this system which aredesigned to be interchangeable depending on the operating frequency. AMarki FB-0860 filter is designed to operate between 7.95-9.25 GHz and iscentered at 8.6 GHz. A Marki FB-0955 filter is designed to operatebetween 8.9-10.2 GHz and is centered at 9.55 GHz. These filters 24 willbe swapped into the system depending on which frequency is beingutilized. A filter 24 will receive input from the mixer 20 at theresultant frequency output by mixing the LO and IF, and will allow forclean passage of intended replication signal at the specifiedparameters. The filtered output frequency will then pass to the firstpre-amp 26.

The pre-amp 26, e.g. Lotus MPA5G18G 18dB pre-amp, is the first stageamplifier which operates from 5-18 GHz. It takes the output signal fromthe filter 24, amplifies it to a power level high enough for the 2 wattdriver amp 28 to receive the input signal.

The sequencers 30, 31, e.g. Xsystor 640EP2R0AL20 & 620EP2R0AL20Sequencers, receive 27vdc from the main power supply 12 in the chassisand provide power biasing gates to power both the driver amp 28 and themain amp 32. The sequencers 30, 31 are switched on prior to any RF beingtransmitted, and are powered down only after all RF has been shut off;proper sequencing of power to the amplifiers 28, 32 is required toprevent power saturation.

The driver amp 28, e.g. Qorvo TGA2598-SM Driver Amp, operates from 6-12GHz with a max output rating of 2 watts. The driver amp 28 receives thesignal from the pre-amp 26 and serves as a driver amp for the mainamplifier 32. The output from the driver amplifier 28 is approximately 1watt, which will then be output to the main amplifier 32.

The main amplifier 32, e.g. Qorvo TGM2635-CP Main Amp, is the finalamplifier in the signal chain and operates from 7.9-11 GHz with a maxpower rating of 100 watts. The main amp 32 receives the input signalfrom the driver amplifier 28 and amplifies it to the final output power.The main amplifier 32 has a duty cycle limitation of 10%, thus limitingaverage output power to approximately 10 watts. The 10 watt signal isthen passed from this amplifier 32 to the final component in the system,the transmit antenna 34, e.g. parabolic dish.

The transmit antenna 34, e.g. Q-par QMS-00807 30dBi Antenna, is finalcomponent of the system, and may be a parabolic dish which operates from6.5-18 GHz. The antenna 34 receives the final signal from the mainamplifier 32 in the signal chain and creates a beam with approximately6° of beamwidth and approximately 37-40 dBW effective isotropic radiatedpower, completing the final stages of operation.

The antenna 34 may be configured to elevation offset (in degrees fromhorizon) for initial scan start point. From the original offset point,the antenna 34 may be directed to scan in 5°/10°/15° steps in elevationto cover higher elevations. The antenna 34 may step through the selectedscan increment up to roughly 60° in elevation and then scan back down tothe initial elevation selection. While the antenna 34 is scanning inelevation, it is concurrently scanning in azimuth. The antenna may beset to scan in azimuth up to +/−90° from antenna boresight. This allowsthe user to select the scan size in azimuth based upon desired area ofcoverage. What results is a pseudo “raster scan” in which the antenna 34is covering a large sector of airspace, thus mitigating the need to aimthe antenna directly at the intended receiver; this significantlysimplifies the use of the system, while increasing the probability ofdetection by aircraft or other systems. Overall the antenna can coverabout 60° of azimuth/second and steps in elevation approximately everysecond.

The preferred embodiment of the system is a ruggedized, portable systemwhich is capable of rapid mobility and reconfiguration, providing theend user a flexible training aid for the aircrew training. The mobilityof the system may be in the form of an autonomous vehicle thattransports the threat emitter 10 around a defined area. Numerousautonomous vehicles systems may be included with the threat emittersystem 10, including U.S. Pat. No. 10,486,699 to LU et al. (Off-RoadAutonomous Driving); U.S. Pat. No. 11,006,564 to Foster et al. (PathPlanning System For Autonomous Off-Road Vehicles); U.S. Pat. No.10,796,204 to Rohani et al. (Planning System and Method For ControllingOperation of an Autonomous Vehicle to Navigate a Planned Path), each ofwhich is fully incorporated by reference.

The system 10 is designed to replicate and emit threat signals, andfacilitate aircrew training through the Find, Fix, Track, Target cycle.Due to the low-cost nature of these emitters, multiple emitters may bedeployed simultaneously to confuse targeting and simulate a morerealistic threat environment.

The design of the low-cost emitter 10 is very flexible, allowing modularchanges for end user needs. If the frequency band for transmissionrequires something than the current configuration, replacing theamplifier chain to meet pre-determined requirements is easilyachievable. Beyond the applications of a low-cost threat emitter, thesystem 10 has many different potential applications—replication/creationof almost any type of waveform is within the realm of possibility takingadvantage of SDR technology and combining with COTS equipment.

Vehicle suspension systems make traversing certain offroad environmentalobstacles more manageable. For example, a fully active suspension canadjust various dynamic characteristics for off-road driving purposes.

Examples of such characteristics include ride height, stiffness of thesuspension springs, damping rates of the shock absorbers, rigidness ofthe anti-roll bars, characteristics of body mounts, the relativeposition between each individual wheel and the vehicle body, etc. Fullyactive suspension systems can benefit from data captured via sensors.That is, the suspension system can adopt particular characteristicsbased on the environmental obstacles detected by the sensors. Moreover,the vehicle itself can assess the environmental obstacle relative to thecapabilities of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle cantraverse the environmental obstacle. The vehicle may, in some possiblesituations, determine whether it should attempt to traverse theenvironmental obstacle without passengers.

For example, if traversing a particular obstacle is within thecapabilities of the vehicle but could cause a roll-over, the vehicle mayalert the passengers of the risk and ask the passengers to exit thevehicle. The vehicle may autonomously traverse the environmentalobstacle after the passengers have exited the vehicle. An examplevehicle control system, that could be incorporated into an autonomoushost vehicle to carry out such actions, includes a processor with accessto a memory storing instructions executable by the processor. Theinstructions include determining whether an autonomous host vehicle cantraverse an environmental obstacle, and if the autonomous host vehiclecan traverse the environmental obstacle, controlling an activesuspension system in accordance with the environmental obstacle andcontrolling the autonomous host vehicle to traverse the environmentalobstacle.

The elements shown may take many different forms and include multipleand/or alternate components and facilities. The example componentsillustrated are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional oralternative components and/or implementations may be used. Further, theelements shown are not necessarily drawn to scale unless explicitlystated as such.

FIG. 2 illustrates example components of the vehicle system 105. Asshown, the vehicle system 105 includes the sensors 110 (brieflydiscussed above, and discussed in greater detail below), a userinterface 120, a communication interface 125, a processor 130, a memory135, and an autonomous mode controller 140. The vehicle system 105 neednot include all of these components, however. The vehicle system 105,for example, could include more, fewer, or different components thanthose shown and described.

The sensors 110 include any number of electronic circuits and otherelectronic components that capture information about the area around thehost vehicle 100. Examples of sensors 110 include lidar sensors, radarsensors, ultrasonic sensors, cameras, or any combination thereof Anynumber of sensors 110 may be incorporated into the host vehicle 100, anddifferent sensors 110 may be of the same or different type relative tothe others, if any, incorporated into the host vehicle 100. The sensors110 are programmed to output signals representing the capturedinformation. For instance, when implemented via lidar, radar, andcameras, the output of the sensor 110 includes image data. In someinstances, the sensor 110 is programmed to detect environmentalobstacles. This could be through image processing performed by theelectronic control unit inside or outside the sensor 110. In suchinstances, the sensor 110 may output an obstacle detection signalindicating the presence of the environmental obstacle. The obstacledetection may include other data as well, such as characteristics of theenvironmental obstacle. Other types of sensors 110 that may be used todetect environmental obstacles could include a rain sensor, a roadcondition sensor, a tire pressure sensor, a height sensor, a steeringwheel sensor, wheel speed sensors, longitudinal and lateral accelerationsensors, accelerator and brake pedal sensors, or the like.

The user interface 120 includes any number of electronic circuits andother electronic components that present information to, and receiveuser inputs from, the vehicle passengers. For instance, the userinterface 120 may include a touch-sensitive display screen located inthe passenger compartment of the host vehicle 100. The user interface120 is programmed to receive signals from, e.g., the processor 130 andpresent information to the vehicle passengers in accordance with thesignals received. Moreover, the user interface 120 is programmed tooutput signals representing user inputs. The signals may be output to,e.g., the processor 130 or other components of the vehicle system 105.

The communication interface 125 includes any number of electroniccircuits and other electronic components that wirelessly transmitsignals. The communication interface 125, for example, includes anantenna. The communication interface 125 is programmed to receivesignals from the processor 130 and transmit those signals to nearbydevices. Further, the communication interface 125 may receive signalsfrom remote devices 145 and transmit those signals to, e.g., theprocessor 130, the autonomous mode controller 140, or the like.

The processor 130 may include any number of electronic circuits andother electronic components that control certain operations of thevehicle system 105 and possibly contribute to the control of othersystems such as the active suspension system 115, the autonomous modecontroller 140, or the like. For example, the processor 130 receives thesignals output by the sensors 110. The processor 130 may receive theimage data, the obstacle detection signal, or both. From the output ofthe sensor 110, the processor 130 determines whether the host vehicle100 can autonomously traverse the environmental obstacle and whether thepassengers should exit the host vehicle 100 prior to attempting totraverse the environmental obstacle. Further, the processor 130 outputscommand signals to the active suspension system 115 that command theactive suspension system 115 to adopt settings appropriate for theenvironmental obstacle. The processor 130 also outputs command signalsto the autonomous mode controller 140 that will control the host vehicle100 while traversing the environmental obstacle.

By way of example, the processor 130 may be incorporated into a vehicledynamics control module that receives various sensor signals, includingsignals output by a rain sensor, a road condition sensor, a tirepressure sensor, a height sensor, a steering wheel sensor, wheel speedsensors, longitudinal and lateral acceleration sensors, accelerator andbrake pedal sensors, or the like. The processor 130 may further receivesignals, from an inertial measurement unit, associated with roll rate,yaw rate, pitch rate, longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration,and vertical acceleration.

Other types of inputs to the processor 130 include signals generated bya pre-crash sensing system in accordance with radar, lidar, camera, ortransponder sensors, signals generated by a navigation system, avehicle-to-vehicle communication system, or a vehicle-to-infrastructurecommunication system.

The processor 130 may output various signals to other components of thehost vehicle 100. For instance, the processor 130 may output signals toa driver warning system, a powertrain control system, a restraintcontrol module, and a chassis control module. The chassis control modulemay implement the aforementioned active suspension system 115 byoutputting control signals that simultaneously adjust, e.g., thesuspension height, the suspension dynamic force, or the like. Therestraint control module may control seatbelt pretensioners, interiorairbag actuators, curtain airbag actuators, seat controls, rolloverprotection bar controls, external airbag actuators, etc. Moreover, inaddition to the processor 130, the restraint control module may receivesignals from impact crash sensors and interior and occupant sensors.

In response to a detected environmental obstacle, the processor 130determines whether the host vehicle 100 is capable of traversing theenvironmental obstacle. This includes identifying the type ofenvironmental obstacles involved (e.g., ditches, large rocks, smallrocks, the amount of ground clearance, etc.), the capabilities of theactive suspension system 115, the risk factors associated withtraversing the environmental obstacle, etc. The processor 130 maycompare a quantitative measure of the risk factors to the maximumthreshold, the intermediate threshold, or both.

If the risk factors exceed the maximum threshold, the processor 130commands the user interface 120 to alert the passengers to take adifferent route. The processor 130 may further output command signals toprevent autonomous and manual operation of the host vehicle 100 throughor over the environmental obstacle. The processor 130 may furthersuggest an alternate route that avoids the environmental obstacle byconsulting, e.g., a navigation system.

If the risk factors do not exceed the maximum threshold but exceed theintermediate threshold, the processor 130 commands the user interface120 to present an alert to the occupants instructing the occupants thatthe host vehicle 100 cannot be manually driven over or through theenvironmental obstacle and that the host vehicle 100 will autonomouslytraverse the environmental obstacle only after all passengers haveexited the host vehicle 100. The user interface 120 presents the alertin response to the command from the processor 130, and the alert mayinclude instructions for initiating the autonomous operation of the hostvehicle 100 via a remote device 145. When the signal from the remotedevice 145 is wirelessly received via the communication interface 125,or any other user input, such as a user input provided to the userinterface 120, and passed to the processor 130, the processor 130determines that it has the passenger's authorization to attempt toautonomously traverse the environmental obstacle. The processor 130 mayrely on the user input as an indication that the passengers have exitedor will exit the host vehicle 100 within a predetermined period of time.The processor 130 may further or alternatively consult an occupantdetection system (e.g., seat sensors, interior camera, or the like) toconfirm that all passengers have indeed exited the host vehicle 100prior to initiating the autonomous control over or through theenvironmental obstacle. To initiate the autonomous control, theprocessor 130 generates control signals to apply particular settings tothe active suspension system 115 based on the type of environmentalobstacle detected. Further, the processor 130 generates control signalsthat command the autonomous mode controller 140 to follow a particularpath to traverse the environmental obstacle.

If the risk factors do not exceed the intermediate threshold, theprocessor 130 commands the user interface 120 to prompt the passengersto select either manual or autonomous control over or through theenvironmental obstacle. The user input selecting either manual orautonomous control is received via the user interface 120 or the remotedevice 145 and provided to the processor 130. In response, the processor130 generates the control signals for the active suspension system 115.If the user input indicates autonomous control, the processor 130further generates the control signals for autonomous operation of thehost vehicle 100 over or through the environmental obstacle.

The memory 135 includes any number of electronic circuits and otherelectronic components that store data. The data may include the imagescaptured by the sensors 110, data relating environmental obstacles todifferent active suspension system 115 settings, instructions executableby the processor 130, instructions executable by the autonomous modecontroller 140, or the like. The memory 135 may make such data availableto the other components of the vehicle system 105.

The autonomous mode controller 140 includes any number of electroniccircuits and other electronic components that control the host vehicle100 in an autonomous or partially autonomous mode. The autonomous modecontroller 140 may autonomously control the host vehicle 100 accordingto the signals output by the sensors 110, the signals output by theprocessor 130, a navigation system, or any combination of these or othercomponents of the host vehicle 100. The autonomous mode controller 140is programmed to output command signals to various systems within thehost vehicle 100 such as the powertrain, brakes, steering, etc. Thecommand signals output by the autonomous mode controller 140 may,therefore, navigate the host vehicle 100 over or through theenvironmental obstacle.

Moreover, the autonomous mode controller 140 may autonomously operatethe host vehicle 100 according to the settings of the active suspensionsystem 115 determined by the processor 130. That is, the autonomous modecontroller 140 may receive a signal representing the particular settingsof the active suspension system 115 applied according to the detectedenvironmental obstacle or may access the settings from, e.g., a databasestored in the memory 135. With the settings, the autonomous modecontroller 140 may autonomously control the host vehicle 100 accordingto the limitations or advantages of characteristics of the activesuspension system 115.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example process 400 that may be executed bythe vehicle system 105 to detect and traverse environmental obstacles.

At block 405, the vehicle system 105 receives one or more sensor signalsrepresenting environmental obstacles. The sensor signals may be outputby one or more of the sensors 110 and may represent the presence of anenvironmental obstacle. For example, the sensor signal may be generatedin response to image processing that detects large rocks (i.e.,boulders), stumps, tree trunks, or other large objects, smaller rocks(i.e., smaller than a boulder but individually or collectively largerthan the vehicle's ground clearance) or other smaller objects thatindividually or collectively are larger than the vehicle's groundclearance, or the like. The sensor signals may be received by theprocessor 130.

At decision block 410, the vehicle system 105 determines whether thehost vehicle 100 can traverse the detected environmental obstacle. Thatis, the processor 130 may consider whether the active suspension system115 can make the appropriate adjustments to overcome the detectedenvironmental obstacle. This may include the processor 130 predictingthe vehicle's path over or through the environmental obstacle whileconsidering factors such as roll-over propensity, traction loss, andother risk factors associated with traversing the environmentalobstacle. If the risk factors, as determined by the processor 130, aretoo high (e.g., quantitatively above a maximum threshold), the process400 may proceed to block 415. If the risk factors, as determined by theprocessor 130, are lower (e.g., quantitatively below the maximumthreshold), the process 400 may proceed to block 420.

At block 415, the vehicle system 105 alerts the passengers to take analternate route. That is, the processor 130 may generate the alert andcommand the user interface 120 to present the alert to the occupants.

At block 420, the vehicle system 105 generates a control signal for theactive suspension system 115. The control signals may facilitatetraction buildup to, e.g., allow more efficient traction management,including locking the differential and increasing the throttle slightlyif the wheels start to spin. Other control signals may increase vehiclearticulation, which could include pushing the vehicle wheels down (i.e.,raising the chassis), adjust the ride height, and adjust the suspensiondampening. Some adjustments, such as adjusting the ride height may bemade to the host vehicle 100 as a whole while others may be made only toparticular wheels (e.g., adjusting a particular wheel height). Further,the vehicle system 105 may simultaneously output multiple controlsignals to, e.g., simultaneously actuate the braking, throttle,steering, raising of the wheels, etc.

At decision block 425, the vehicle system 105 determines whether thehost vehicle 100 should attempt to traverse the environmental obstaclewith passengers present. For instance, the processor 130 may considerthe risk factors, discussed above, relative to an intermediate thresholdwhich indicates a less risky maneuver over or through an environmentalobstacle than a maneuver that exceeds the maximum threshold. If theprocessor 130 determines that the risk factors are quantitatively belowthe maximum threshold but above an intermediate threshold, the processor130 may determine that the environmental obstacle should only beattempted autonomously and only after the passengers have exited thehost vehicle 100. In such instances, the process 400 may proceed todecision block 430. If the processor 130 determines that the riskfactors are quantitatively below the intermediate threshold, theprocessor 130 may permit manual or autonomous operation of the hostvehicle 100 through the environmental obstacle, and the process 400 mayproceed to block 445.

At decision block 430, the vehicle system 105 determines whether toallow manual operation of the host vehicle 100 through the environmentalobstacle. For instance, the processor 130 may determine that humanoperation of the host vehicle 100 is permissible if the risk factors arequantitatively below the intermediate threshold. In such instances, theprocess 400 may proceed to block 435. Otherwise, if the risk factors arequantitatively below the intermediate threshold, or if the occupants donot wish to manually operate the host vehicle 100 over or through theobstacle as indicated by a user input provided to the user interface120, the process 400 may proceed to block 440.

At block 435, the vehicle system 105 may alert the occupants that manualoperation of the host vehicle 100 is permitted. The processor 130 maygenerate the alert and command the user interface 120 to present thealert to the occupants via the user interface 120. If the driver wishesto manually operate the host vehicle 100 through or over theenvironmental obstacle, the process 400 may proceed to block 405. If thedriver prefers for the host vehicle 100 to be autonomously navigatedthrough or over the environmental obstacle, the driver may provide auser input to the user interface 120 indicating as much, and the process400 may proceed to block 440.

At block 440, the vehicle system 105 may generate control signals toautonomously control the host vehicle 100 over or through theenvironmental obstacle. That is, the processor 130 may generate andoutput signals to the autonomous mode controller 140 that command theautonomous mode controller 140 to autonomously operate the host vehicle100 over or through the environmental obstacle. The signals output bythe processor 130 may define a particular path and a particular speed tobe applied when navigating over or through the obstacle. The processor130 or the autonomous mode controller 140 may generate signals tocontrol the steering, braking, and acceleration while the host vehicle100 is autonomously operated. The process 400 may proceed to block 405after the host vehicle 100 traverses the environmental obstacle.

At block 445, the vehicle system 105 may alert the passengers to exitthe host vehicle 100. That is, the processor 130 may generate the alertand command the user interface 120 to present the alert to thepassengers. The alert may instruct the passengers to exit the hostvehicle 100 and to, e.g., provide a user input to the remote device 145when all passengers have exited the host vehicle 100 and are ready forthe host vehicle 100 to autonomously traverse the environmentalobstacle.

At decision block 450, the vehicle system 105 may determine whether itcan begin autonomous control of the host vehicle 100. The processor 130,for instance, may decide to begin autonomous control of the host vehicle100 after it confirms that all passengers have exited the host vehicle100 and after it has received a user input, provided via a remote device145 (e.g., a fob, cell phone, etc.) and transmitted to the processor 130via the communication interface 125, instructing the host vehicle 100 toproceed autonomously. The processor 130 may determine that thepassengers have exited the host vehicle 100 in accordance with signalsoutput by an occupant detection system. If the passengers have exitedthe host vehicle 100 and if the user input is received, the process 400may proceed to block 440. Otherwise, the process 400 may repeat block450 until at least those two criteria are simultaneously met. This,therefore, is one example of a circumstance in which the autonomousoperation of the host vehicle 100 may occur only after all passengershave exited the host vehicle 100.

In general, the computing systems and/or devices described may employany of a number of computer operating systems, including, but by nomeans limited to, versions and/or varieties of the Ford Sync®application, AppLink/Smart Device Link middleware, the MicrosoftAutomotive® operating system, the Microsoft Windows® operating system,the Unix operating system (e.g., the Solaris® operating systemdistributed by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif.), the AIXUNIX operating system distributed by International Business Machines ofArmonk, N.Y., the Linux operating system, the Mac OSX 20 and iOSoperating systems distributed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., theBlackBerry OS distributed by Blackberry, Ltd. of Waterloo, Canada, andthe Android operating system developed by Google, Inc. and the OpenHandset Alliance, or the QNX® CAR Platform for Infotainment offered byQNX Software Systems. Examples of computing devices include, withoutlimitation, an on-board vehicle computer, a computer workstation, aserver, a desktop, notebook, laptop, or handheld computer, or some othercomputing system and/or device.

Computing devices generally include computer-executable instructions,where the instructions may be executable by one or more computingdevices such as those listed above. Computer-executable instructions maybe compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using avariety of programming languages and/or technologies, including, withoutlimitation, and either alone or in combination, Java™, C, C++, VisualBasic, Java Script, Perl, etc. Some of these applications may becompiled and executed on a virtual machine, such as the Java VirtualMachine, the Dalvik virtual machine, or the like. In general, aprocessor (e.g., a microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from amemory, a computer-readable medium, etc., and executes theseinstructions, thereby performing one or more processes, including one ormore of the processes described herein. Such instructions and other datamay be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readablemedia.

A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readablemedium) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium thatparticipates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that may be read bya computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium may takemany forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media andvolatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical ormagnetic disks and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include,for example, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which typicallyconstitutes a main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by oneor more transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wire andfiber optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled toa processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable mediainclude, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any otheroptical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium withpatterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM, any othermemory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer canread.

Databases, data repositories or other data stores described herein mayinclude various kinds of mechanisms for storing, accessing, andretrieving various kinds of data, including a hierarchical database, aset of files in a file system, an application database in a proprietaryformat, a relational database management system (RDBMS), etc. Each suchdata store is generally included within a computing device employing acomputer operating system such as one of those mentioned above, and areaccessed via a network in any one or more of a variety of manners. Afile system may be accessible from a computer operating system, and mayinclude files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs theStructured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for creating,storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such as the PL/SQLlanguage mentioned above.

In some examples, system elements may be implemented ascomputer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more computingdevices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored on computerreadable media associated therewith (e.g., disks, memories, etc.). Acomputer program product may comprise such instructions stored oncomputer readable media for carrying out the functions described herein.

With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc.described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps ofsuch processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to acertain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with thedescribed steps performed in an order other than the order describedherein. It further should be understood that certain steps could beperformed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or thatcertain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, thedescriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose ofillustrating certain embodiments, and should in no way be construed soas to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description isintended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments andapplications other than the examples provided would be apparent uponreading the above description. The scope should be determined, not withreference to the above description, but should instead be determinedwith reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated andintended that future developments will occur in the technologiesdiscussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will beincorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should beunderstood that the application is capable of modification andvariation.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinarymeanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologiesdescribed herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is madeherein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,”“said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicatedelements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

The Abstract is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain thenature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with theunderstanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scopeor meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separately claimed subject matter.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of oneor more embodiments thereof and while these embodiments have beendescribed in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict orin any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail.Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to thoseskilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is thereforenot limited to the specific details, representative apparatus andmethod, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly,departures may be made from such details without departing from thescope of the general inventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. A threat emitter system comprising: a threatemitter comprising a main power supply in communication with an externalpower source; a first sequencer receiving electrical power from the mainpower supply; a driver amp receiving electrical power from the mainpower supply; a second sequencer receiving electrical power from themain power supply; a main amp receiving electrical power from the mainpower supply; and a radio receiving electrical power from the main powersupply; a three-way power supply receiving electrical power from themain power supply and supplying three distinct DC voltages; a mixerreceiving electrical power from the three-way power supply; asynthesizer receiving electrical power from the three-way power supply;a pre-amp receiving electrical power from the three-way power supply;and at least two cooling fans receiving electrical power from thethree-way power supply; and an antenna in communication with the mainamp; a user interface in communication with radio; the radio incommunication with the mixer; the mixer in communication with thesynthesizer; a filter in communication between the mixer and thepre-amp; the driver amp in communication with the pre-amp; the firstsequencer in communication with the driver amp; the driver amp incommunication with the main amp; a second sequencer in communicationwith the main amp; and a processor with access to a memory storinginstructions executable by the processor, the instructions including:driving a waveform power (dB) to a selected value; driving a waveformfrequency at a selected value; driving a waveform bandwidth at aselected value; driving a waveform pulse duration at a selected value;and driving a waveform pulse repetition interval at a selected value. 2.The threat emitter system of claim 2, further comprising a host vehicleon which the threat emitter is mounted.
 3. The threat emitter system ofclaim 3, wherein the host vehicle is an autonomous host vehicle, theautonomous host vehicle comprising a processor with access to a memorystoring instructions executable by the processor, the instructionsincluding: determining that an autonomous host vehicle can traverse anenvironmental obstacle that includes at least one topographical featurethat is a solid object or a land formation; and as a result ofdetermining that the autonomous host vehicle can traverse the at leastone topographical feature: controlling an active suspension system inaccordance with the at least one topographical feature, and controllingthe autonomous host vehicle to traverse the at least one topographicalfeature; and receiving a user input authorizing the autonomous hostvehicle to traverse the at least one topographical feature.
 4. Thethreat emitter system of claim of claim 3, wherein the instructions forcontrolling the active suspension include to adjust one or more wheelsof the host vehicle individually to traverse the at least onetopographical feature.